Published 13:30 IST, February 5th 2021
Ishant Sharma struggles in first session, fans furious at Mohammed Siraj's exclusion
Fans were seemingly unimpressed after veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma got the nod ahead of the in-form Mohammed Siraj for the India vs England 1st Test.
Advertisement
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj came up with a lion-hearted performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The pacer's performance, especially in the Test series decider at the Gabba, was lauded by many as he led an inexperienced bowling attack in an exemplary fashion. With 13 wickets in 3 matches, the youngster emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Team India in the series. However, a returning Ishant Sharma was given the nod ahead of the youngster for the India vs England 1st Test match.
India vs England live: Netizens question Mohammed Siraj's exclusion
India's tour of Australia proved to be an injury-ravaged affair as several prominent fast bowlers were on the sidelines. Ishant Sharma, who has been a mainstay for the team's red-ball assignment, had to miss the flight Down Under because of an abdominal muscle tear that he picked up while playing the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE. The lanky pacer has recovered from his injury after an extensive rehabilitation programme and was ultimately included in the Test squad for the England series.
The India vs England 1st Test is India's first home game after their COVID-19 break, and the team management decided to take the field with only two fast bowlers. Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were Virat Kohli's preferred choice over the in-form Mohammed Siraj. While Sharma's struggles in the opening session of the day were quite visible, fans were certainly not pleased with Siraj missing out on the crucial contest.
I would reward Siraj by playing him in first test along with Bumrah. You can't just drop him. Ishant can wait to play in 2nd test where we can rest bumrah for pink ball test..
— રવિ પટેલ (@patelravi29) February 5, 2021
Ishant could have been kept back and Siraj played on the back of his stupendous performances in aus
— #ReadyForThePoms (@cjaisree) February 5, 2021
Siraj would have been an incredible pick instead of Ishant carrying the momentum from Australia Series #INDvENG @BCCI
— blinkorshrink (@Blinkorshrink) February 5, 2021
A bit unfair for Siraj to miss out isn't it?
— Amol Joshi (@amoljoshi) February 5, 2021
Inspite of Siraj good performance why Ishaant is in team
— Ranjan Kumar (@RanjanK17650278) February 5, 2021
Feels for Mohammad Siraj & Shardul Thakur. Despite of outstanding performances, they had to be benched.#INDvENG #ShardulThakur #MohammedSiraj
— Omkar Acharya (@Omkar_Acharya12) February 5, 2021
Once Ravi Shastri said the current Indian team would prefer current form over experience and now they've picked Ishant who came back from injury in place of in form Mohammed siraj. #INDvENG #TeamIndia #ChennaiTest @WasimJaffer14 @bhogleharsha @GautamGambhir @cricketaakash
— Sanjeev Sharma (@imsanjeev22) February 5, 2021
ALSO READ | Joe Root Beats Kane Williamson For Creating All-time World Record In Landmark 100th Test
India vs England live updates
The two cricketing giants will battle it out in four Test matches. The series is of utmost importance for both the participating teams, as the result could have a significant impact on the ICC World Test Championship standings. Joe Root won the toss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and decided to bat first. England's opening batsmen gave them a steady start in the first session. However, India fought back by claiming two quick wickets. At the time of writing this report, England have 81 runs on the board but have also lost two wickets.
ALSO READ | Marnus Labuschagne Confirms Signing Up For IPL 2021 Auction After All-round BBL Exploits
Mohammed Siraj career stats in international cricket
The talented bowler made his Test debut in Australia, where he came up with a spirited performance in spite of the immense pressure. Having played three Test matches so far, Siraj has 13 wickets to his name. He also has three wickets in as many T20Is. The fast bowler has also played a single ODI for team India. However, he went wicketless in the particular encounter.
Image source: ICC Twitter
13:30 IST, February 5th 2021